There’s a different method for cleaning carpets hitting the market, that you might not have heard about until now. Now featuring… steam cleaning vs dry carpet cleaning! Both methods work hard to get tough stains and dirt out of your carpets, but which one is better? We’ll run down how both work and give you the pros and cons so you can decide which is best for your carpets.
What is Steam Cleaning?
Steam cleaning mainly uses hot water extraction to penetrate deep inside your carpet fibers and bring out the grime. This method has been counted on for a long time in prolonging the life of many carpets. It works well with most type, including wool.
Here’s a rundown of how it works:
- Carpet is vacuumed.
- A pretreatment is put down and given some time to lift stains to the surface.
- Carpet cleaning solution is applied.
- Hot water is applied with high pressure on the carpet.
- Special vacuum is used to extract water and soap.
What is Dry Carpet Cleaning?
Dry cleaning for carpets uses powder chemicals instead of mainly hot water. A small amount of water is used, but much less than steam cleaning. This method just came into popularity recently as an alternative to steam cleaning.
Here’s a rundown of how it works:
- Carpet is vacuumed.
- Stains are pretreated, if necessary.
- A chemical dry power, detergent, and solvent are applied.
- A small amount of water is used to break up stains and tough areas.
- Carpet is vacuumed to remove all the chemicals and water.
Which method is better?
Like all methods of cleaning, there are many ways to get the job done. Let’s cover pros and cons of both methods.
Steam Cleaning Pros
- Kills bacteria.
- Removes allergens, mold, mites, and more.
- Doesn’t rely on harsh chemicals
- Doesn’t leave a residue.
Steam Cleaning Cons
- Can leave carpets wetter than other methods.
- You will have to wait to walk on them.
- Can be more expensive than dry cleaners.
Dry Cleaning Pros
- Shorter drying time than steam cleaning.
- Cleaners can add protection to carpet fibers to prevent future stains.
- A less expensive option.
Dry Cleaning Cons
- Can build up a residue on your carpets that breaks the fibers down over time.
- Often uses harsh chemicals and perfumes, which are not great for people that are sensitive with allergies. Be sure to ask your dry carpet cleaning professionals about the chemical compounds they use, especially Perchloroethylene.
- Not as powerful at disinfecting or revitalizing.
The Verdict
At the end of the day, both deep cleaning methods can work well for you, depending on your needs. Steam cleaning is good for a true restorative experience. We might be biased, but it is often the last-ditch effort before replacement. It’s also best for removing allergens and bacteria. The only downside is that you have to wait a bit before walking on them.
As a side note, steam cleaning does get a bad reputation from its seemingly long dry time. This might be true of the big industry practices, but it does not have to be the case for all. Please read about the dangers of wet carpets. Olmec Reflections is different on this topic, as it does not take 24 hours for carpets to dry after we leave. Most of our jobs see a window of only 6-8 hours of dry time max.
Dry carpet cleaning is effective for carpet owners that want a refreshed traffic lane in a short amount of time. It is also ideal for folks not wanting to spend a lot of money or wait for carpets to dry. We understand and respect the industry for coming up with different solutions.
Need a Carpet Cleaning?
Still on the fence about what method is right for you? Please check out our carpet cleaning page to get a better idea of our services offered. If your mind is made up and you’d like to book with us, please contact us today to get on our calendar!